February 1 ~ Daniel 6:10
Daniel heard about the law, but when he returned home, he went upstairs and prayed in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. In the same way that he had always done, he knelt down in prayer three times a day, giving thanks to God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you go back and read the 6th chapter of the book of Daniel, you will see that a law had been put in place by the Darius, King of the Medes, that said that anyone who prayed to a god or human besides him (King Darius) would be thrown into a lion pit. Daniel knew this, but he continued to pray three times a day – to God! He trusted God to protect him – and to bless his faithfulness.
How often do we bow to the pressures of this world instead of trusting God to help us? How often do we find it easier to “go with the flow” than to do what we know is right in God’s eyes? It could be something seemingly insignificant like choosing to “commune with nature” rather than worshiping with an organized church body on a regular basis… or it could be something as serious as deciding to live life on our own terms, “party hearty,” and “find God” later. Either way, God will not be pleased… and life will be far less than it could be if we were in a right relationship with Him.
Daniel was indeed thrown into the lion’s den for his disobedience to King Darius. But God protected Him, and the lions did not bother him. Interestingly enough, King Darius was not all that bad and had bowed to pressure from his subjects in enacting this law. He prayed to God for Daniel’s safety, and God sent an angel to keep the lions at bay. When King Darius saw evidence of God’s protection for Daniel, he put those who had insisted on this imprisonment in the lion’s den, and Scripture says the lions ripped them to pieces.
Does this mean we will never be ridiculed, rejected by others, or even persecuted for standing up for what God tells us? Not at all… being a faithful Christian is often really hard and sometimes downright difficult. The devil works night and day to make us miserable! But we know Who wins in the end… and Who blesses us and cares for us along the way. If God takes us to something difficult, He will see us through it! So remember Daniel today. When you are tempted, challenged, laughed at, or even persecuted for sticking up for your faith in God, be encouraged. Angels are all around you to give you peace, comfort and protection. God will not fail us. When you pray, remember to thank Him for his amazing grace, mercy and peace in all situations – even a den of lions!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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